


whatever lies beyond this morning

by UnlimitedSkye



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Found Family, Gen, Multi, Platonic Relationships, i need more of these two interacting, light spoilers for zeno's backstory, mentions of everyone else - Freeform, protect shin-ah!!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-23 19:29:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30060426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnlimitedSkye/pseuds/UnlimitedSkye
Summary: Jae-ha knows he’s here by choice, he’s certain of it.It doesn’t matter that these odd kids gathered because of the dragon’s blood -- each and every one of them is different and capable of making their own choices.Now that he’s learned about Zeno-kun’s past too, possibly through one of the worst possible ways mind you, he can confidently say he understands everyone that’s been brought together by “fate”.Well, maybe except one.
Relationships: Jae-Ha & Shin-Ah (Akatsuki no Yona)
Kudos: 15





	whatever lies beyond this morning

Shin-ah has always been the weird one. 

Well, they were all weird.

Shin-ah is painfully shy, so much so Jae-ha didn’t think someone like him could have existed until he met him. 

None of the others think much of it though, and he knows each and every one of “The Dark Dragon and the Happy Hungry Bunch” has a soft spot for Shin-ah, Jae-ha included.

It’s not hard to understand _why_ , but how and why Shin-ah acts the way he does is the one thing that puzzles him.

They were all there when they had “recruited” Shin-ah (Zeno included, probably watching somewhere), so Jae-ha had been the only one that missed out on it (read: he was the only one that couldn’t see his eyes!).

Apparently, he had fiercely rejected his dragon power too, hiding his face with a mask much like how Jae-ha hides his with his boots. From the times he’d caught glimpses of his face through battle (and his gradual growth of trust in them -- the times Shin-ah simply “forgets” about his mask) he _almost_ doesn’t understand why. They’re _beautiful_ , even more than the most magnificent beauties and Jae-ha himself. When he’s not revealing them through desperate attempts of survival Shin-ah views the world and the people around him like they’d hung the stars and the moon for him -- and to a certain extent, you could argue that it was true. But at the same time, it’s the beauty that can be seen as a curse, much like how Jae-ha’s leg can be admired by other people even though it’s an ugly mess. 

So, it’s a curse, apparently. Jae-ha still hates his leg, but he’d use it to show off and live with it’s potential and soar through the sky. Shin-ah hates his eyes, and he’s almost _afraid of them._ It’s a double edge sword -- so he’s heard and witnessed, but that doesn’t really warrant it enough for Shin-ah to be so skilled in swordsmanship just so he could reject and avoid relying on it like Jae-ha and Kija does, even _Zeno_. 

It comes clear when he thinks back to the small conversations he’s had with the others -- the admiration, the pity, combined with what he’d heard through the ancient Seiryuu spirit possessing the certain blue-haired teen. 

For what it’s worth, Jae-ha and Shin-ah were similar, yet so, so different. 

While Jae-ha was stripped of his individuality and only known for being the Ryokuryuu, he’d at least been given a name and enough exposure to learn that he had to _get out_ . Shin-ah, his _curse_ , was probably so deeply drilled into his mind that he was afraid of himself, and only understood that he had to protect the closest thing he had to a family even when none of them deserved him. 

It’s evident, and so _obvious_. 

The things Shin-ah is willing to do to protect them time and time again even if it means using that one thing that he so utterly despised and is afraid of. (He’s kind despite being exposed to the worst sides of the human race, and part of that frustrates Jae-ha too, though he can't exactly pinpoint why. Maybe he's just a horrible person, who knows.) 

So, who is Shin-ah anyway? 

He knows Yun finds his presence comforting, between all the chaos and stupidity Shin-ah is a nice refreshing change of pace. He's reliable, and the only other person that wakes up early enough to sit around and “guard” while Yun cooks breakfast. Sure Yun finds him hopeless sometimes, but that isn't new when there's Yona and Kija around, and sometimes even Hak. On the nights where Jae-ha spends sleepless and in company of drinks, he watches Yun passionately teach Shin-ah how to read, while the latter fascinates the former with picture-perfect recreations of scenery. It's a time for the younger to catch up on reading and learning, something Jae-ha knows he's more often given up on to take care of the dysfunctional family. 

Hak has respect for Shin-ah. Sure, Jae-ha can tell that Hak admires all of them in some way, even though he himself is certainly deserving of being the “Dark Dragon” too. But Shin-ah is someone he openly shows his admiration for, possibly because they’re the same age (though, even Shin-ah himself isn’t exactly sure when he’s born), and probably because he’s the person Hak has the most respect for. Shin-ah is incredibly skilled in “surviving”, you could call it, probably due to his upbringing. Yun is multi-talented to a fault, but Shin-ah is someone that can craft arrowheads and give Hak a run for the money simply with his swordsmanship.

Kija sees Shin-ah as a little brother. Though you could argue he sees _all_ of the dragons as brothers, Kija is a big brother to Shin-ah in the most literal sense. They’ve already had a weird relationship when Jae-ha joined the group, one that was over-protected and praised, and another that was ignored and hated. Kija seemed determined to share the greatness of the four dragon warriors, and Shin-ah was always there to listen despite everything. But it’s so much more than that. If the time at the cave had shown him anything, it’s that Kija would do anything to protect Shin-ah, even if it means sacrificing himself.

If Shin-ah is the moon, then Zeno is the sun. They’re polar opposites, but call it experience or what-not, they just work, somehow. Zeno seems to know more than he lets on, which considering his age, makes perfect sense, but he does his best to chase away the things Shin-ah missed out on -- dragging him around everywhere to have fun and experience the more normal side of life. It’s a welcomed change, and it’s fun seeing kids be kids again. When in doubt, it seems that Zeno is the one person that can understand the minimalistic words that Shin-ah spouts out. 

For Yona, well, it was hard to talk about her when she’s so tangled in everyone’s threads. Nevertheless, it’s clear to Jae-ha that they have some weird kind of special kinship. It’s hard to understand what goes on in Shin-ah’s mind, but it’s abundantly clear how he views the person that literally gave him a name. Yona doesn’t shy away from how she expresses affection towards Shin-ah too, if anything she would always be the one to make sure Shin-ah is never dragged back into the darkness. Jae-ha is jealous of what they have, sometimes, but the kid deserves nothing less. 

“Jae-ha.” 

It was rare for Shin-ah to ever approach him, though Jae-ha knew exactly where the fault laid.

“What is it, Shin-ah-kun?” It’s late at night, or perhaps early in the morning depending on how you see it, but it was one of those things that needed no explanation since they were all troubled little messes.

As of custom, Shin-ah pauses and stares, looking down at the ground and expressing thoughts through pure telepathy. Unfortunately for them, Jae-ha still wasn’t that good at reading those thoughts, and he’d rather not make any assumptions when it came to the younger.

If Jae-ha was an expert at reading between lines, Shin-ah was someone that could sometimes misread lines. That isn’t to say he’s dense -- Yona and Kija are similar, but their morale twists and tugs at any misunderstandings to paint Jae-ha in a better picture than he’ll ever actually be. Shin-ah, however, was someone that would internalise those thoughts, so much so Jae-ha sometimes worries about him disappearing one day, or secretly hating Jae-ha, if he doesn’t already. 

(But if Shin-ah could forgive those appalling villagers, Jae-ha doesn’t think Shin-ah is ever really capable of hating anyone.) 

“Do you need anything?” He prods gently, and that’s when he feels Shin-ah’s eyes on him, though the latter shakes his head lightly before settling on something similar to confusion or quiet contemplation. 

Jae-ha knows better than to make small talk or try to fill the silence, so he gives the patch next to him a light pat and simply waits. 

He’d never get tired of watching Shin-ah interact with the world -- for someone so stoic and easily misunderstood, anyone that cared to look beyond first impressions would be quickly overwhelmed by how much emotion he carried through gestures and body language alone. 

(Somewhere, it makes Jae-ha want to believe -- to want to protect something he begins to consider whether or not that was how Gigan felt and she took in naive little Jae-ha. Don’t get him wrong, Jae-ha feels the same for everyone here, to everyone he would modestly claim as family, but Shin-ah was just something else -- it makes Jae-ha’s heart yearn to protect that tainted innocence, if not for Shin-ah then for Jae-ha himself.)

“I didn’t understand… that person- t-they didn’t like you…” the way Shin-ah trod so lightly, so afraid to touch and seemingly dwindled upon himself, “I know I wasn’t supposed to look -- but I…” and he trails off, making Jae-ha’s heart so soft he wants to squeeze it apart just so he would never have to face the fear of losing it.

“I knew,” Jae-ha explains, and he watches Shin-ah’s expression morph into a million little things out of the corner of his eyes. 

“Then why did they...?” 

“It’s easier to make friends than enemies, even if you hate each other.” 

Shin-ah tilts his head. “Why would they hate you?” 

“Why wouldn’t they?” Jae-ha chuckles, “it’d be much quicker to count the people that found me tolerable than to list the people that dislike me.” 

Shin-ah’s lips pull into a tight line, “maybe I can talk to them…” 

This kid is so incredibly kind, so much so that Jae-ha could never begin to piece together anything because Jae-ha was too much of an asshole.

“No need, you shouldn’t bother wasting your time.” 

Shin-ah’s downcast is almost enough to make Jae-ha backtrack, but he stands his ground and anticipates the incomplete doubt he knows is lingering at the back of the other’s mind.

“... D-Do they always...?” 

“Pretend they like you when they secretly wish you were dead?” Jae-ha’s having too much fun, maybe it’s the warmth of the moonlight, or the silent wind of the promised morning. Jae-ha knows he should be kinder, but it’s something like his ego protecting the fragility of their relationship. 

Shin-ah offers an uncertain nod, no doubt extrapolating these thoughts into other situations. 

“T-The villagers,” Shin-ah swallows, and Jae-ha is already encapsulated by the rare mention of Shin-ah’s past, “they always hated me. I understood why, and it was… comforting,” Shin-ah stares straight at Jae-ha, piercing through everything even with his mask, “if they pretended to like me, I don’t think… I wouldn’t want to ever find out that they hated me.” 

Jae-ha produces a thoughtful hum, reaching for and at a place Shin-ah wouldn’t shy away from. 

“I understand,” he says, because he does -- it’s a simple fear and scary thought for someone that isn’t built on dishonesty and deception like Jae-ha, “and that’s okay.” 

He pulls Shin-ah closer, a part of him blinking in joy when the other doesn’t pull away. 

“That’s why I’m here,” Jae-ha smiles, “I’ll let you know if it happens,” though in honesty, Jae-ha couldn’t imagine anyone hating Shin-ah, and if they did they merited no mercy -- “if you want.” 

“I do.” Shin-ah announces, sinking lower in their brittle touch, “I wish you could teach me, but I know I’m no good --” Protest lingers at Jae-ha’s throat, daring him to speak, but his eyes widen at the uninterrupted continuation, “Thank you, Jae-ha.”

More than those beautiful eyes that seemed to bound Shin-ah, his few and far between smile became something that genuinely made Jae-ha falter. 

(Jae-ha was greedy, he’d already been given so much in the form of this exceptional family, but he wanted more than anyone would ever deserve.)

As the sun rises he watches Shin-ah’s chest rise and fall. They have ways to go, and sometimes Jae-ha would be still at a loss for what to say, but you bet he would never let go of something so special.

**Author's Note:**

> had the urge to write something and found this unfinished from 2019! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed.


End file.
